Sophie: Howl’s Moving Castle

I don’t even know where to begin with this movie, but I might as well give it a try.

Let me start off by saying, the first half of this movie I was in love with Sophie, as a young girl and an old woman. As a young girl, she stood up to the evil queen to get out of the store. As an old woman, she was just great. Her snappy remarks, personality, determination, etc. overall was everything a feminist would love. Especially, she didn’t let old age define her. Age is a facet that post-feminist believe shouldn’t define your beauty. She didn’t let her wrinkles, grey hair, and overweight body effect any facet of herself. If anything she used it to her advantage by being the “I am a wise old woman” factor. I found myself saying, yes not anything, but a Disney movie. The first half got an A+ in the eyes of a feminist.

Now as the movie developed, it took a 180 turn. I was in shock. I found myself loving Sophie and this movie, to the next laughing at how ridiculous it got. It was the character of Sophie that got to be a little ridiculous to me. I think it was because I had high hopes of this not turning out like a “typical Disney princess movie” even though it wasn’t Disney, I believe it did. Ugh. Come on Howl’s Moving Castle I was rooting for you, than you go and let me down.

Once, Sophie fell in love with Howl it was downhill in my eyes and the plot was thrown away. Many may argue the animators did this on purpose, as it is up to us as the audience to figure the ending out. Yes, there still could have been a love plot line, but this was ridiculous. All of a sudden they are in love? All of a sudden the turnip head was a magically prince?  Oh, and don’t even get me started with the scene when Howl says “Come with me” and Sophie simply replies with “K.” Well, “K” to you  the writers of Howl’s Moving Castle. Come on, can’t a girl have a little more dignity than that?

This wasn’t a Disney movie and it didn’t feel like it for the majority of it. However, the ending was beyond typical for animation with a female lead. On a positive note, I found how to animators kept her grey hair a nice touch. It is the one aspect she kept from her as an old woman. I believe this symbolizes the essence of inner beauty rather than outward appearance.